Moon and Turtle

I'm sincere and I really mean this: I feel sad for those who give a high rating to this place. Do they ever have great food in their life? I mean, by great I mean Panda Express. The crispy rice in the appetizer is fine, but other than that, the other food shows that there's almost little to nothing about cooking. The poke in the appetizer is seriously way too salty. Any primary care doctor should stop their patients from having food like that. And the fish in the entree is bad too. We spent about $100 in this place, and then we had to go to McDonald's straight after this and had a two-fish fillet sandwiches which is much better. I know big Island is not famous for its food. It's probably hard to hire people and work there as a restaurant, but just to say objectively, for this restaurant, the quality of food, I cannot imagine this restaurant surviving anywhere else, not to mention with such a high review.

I had read somewhere that Moon & Turtle is one of the best restaurants on Big Island. I went in with high hopes. I left hungry, $60 lighter, and genuinely confused about the hype. Let’s start with the positives — the bartender who took my order was friendly and welcoming. That’s about it. The menu is tiny — maybe six items total. Fine, small menus can mean quality and focus. But the execution here was disappointing at best. I waited 45 minutes for my risotto. 45 minutes. By the time it arrived I was starving. And what did I get? Rice in a sauce with raw, unprocessed onion. Not caramelized, not softened — raw, crunchy onion that overpowered every single bite. It tasted like something I could throw together at home on a weekday. Nothing special, nothing memorable, nothing that justifies the price tag or the wait. The kitchen is fully visible from the bar area, which adds nothing to the ambiance and takes away from the dining experience. Three dishes, $60, still hungry walking out. That’s the Moon & Turtle experience. Skip the risotto. Actually — skip the restaurant. There are far better places to spend your money and your evening on this island. Disappointed and underwhelmed. 👎

An Absolute Must-Visit (Visited 01/2026) If you can get in, this is one of the best culinary experiences we had in Hawaii. Compared with most Hawaiian dining options we came across, this spot stands out as one of our favorites. The dishes are inventive, creative, and utterly delicious. We managed same-day bar seating, which was fantastic. Locals like this place, so it’s difficult to get a table, book in advance. We started with the Smokey Sashimi, A'u Ceviche (Local striped marlin), and the surprisingly fantastic Sizzling 'Tetsuyaki' Poke—definitely not something we'd usually order. For the main course, we had the pan-roasted Market Fish (mahi). Everything was spectacular. The vibe is fun, Hawaiian casual, blending high-end seafood quality with inventive dishes and a great bar. Highly recommended—not to be missed!

This is a must visit for me every time I'm in town, the food is top notch and the service / ambiance is excellent. Highly recommend the smoked ahi and sizzling poke as starters, mushroom risotto and the catch of the day as entrees. Smoked tonnato caesar very interesting to try if you love caesars with anchovies like I do. The lemon cocktail on HH is delicious. Highly recommend reservations.

Need reservation to avoid waiting. They asked credit card for reservation. But if you call them for reservation, they will send a link to you to enter credit card. We felt uncomfortable with that and the reservation is still valid. This is a small restaurant that has about 10 tables and 7 bar seats. Food is good and the chef is definitely one of the best in the town. The food portion is small. They suggested us to order two large dishes and two small dishes. But they are not enough for 3 of us even we added one more small dish.

Perfected family style dinner experience. Best mojito I have ever had. Loved every dish and drink. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. My server even modified my menu so it was clear which dishes could be modified for my dairy allergy. The dessert was also phenomenal. Highly recommend making reservations and having dinner here at least once when in Hilo!